The New England Patriots are one of the hottest up-and-coming teams in the NFL right now. While all eyes are on the play of second-year quarterback Drake Maye, on the defensive side of the ball, Christian Gonzalez has been earning his fair share of praise as well.

After earning All-Pro Second Team honors in 2024, Gonzalez has suited up for New England’s past six games after missing the start of the season with a hamstring injury. During that time, the Pats have not lost a game, rattling off six straight wins to push their record to 7-2.

In only his...

The Patriots are currently riding a six-game winning streak, and while most things are going smoothly for New England, quarterback Drake Maye has been taking quite a beating.

The Atlanta Falcons and the Cleveland Browns sacked Maye six times in each of the last two games. However, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels isn’t worried about pass protection.

“I think generally speaking our pass protection has been pretty sound,” McDaniels said on Thursday, via Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed.

Maye appeared to agree with McDaniels, suggesting that the pass protection is performing well because the young quarterback took most of the blame for...

The New England Patriots made an intriguing move by signing wide receiver Brenden Rice, the son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.

The Los Angeles Chargers selected Rice in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He saw action in three games as a rookie, primarily on special teams, before finishing the year on injured reserve.

Los Angeles waived Rice as part of the final roster cuts this season. After some time looking for his next job, Rice signed with the Patriots’ practice squad

When asked why the Patriots brought in Rice, Vrabel said there were many factors, but...

If there’s one knock against the New England Patriots amid their stunning 7-2 first half, it’s that the team has faced an easy schedule.

Only three of the Patriots’ first nine opponents this season currently have winning records.

Though New England faces one of its biggest tests in Week 10 when the team faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) on the road, Baker Mayfield and company may be severely shorthanded.

Starting running back Bucky Irving hasn’t played since Week 4 due to foot and shoulder injuries. Wide receiver Chris Godwin (fibula) has been limited to two games this year (and...

A former NFL star appreciates how much Drake Maye is sharing the wealth in the New England Patriots’ offense this season.

Maye found Demario “Pop” Douglas for 100 yards and a touchdown in New England’s Week 9 win over the Atlanta Falcons. That marked the sixth different player to lead the team in receiving this season, a feat unmatched throughout the NFL.

Matt Ryan has loved that element of New England’s offense. The 2016 MVP lauded the passing game’s vast distribution on “The Inner Circle” podcast.

“You’re spreading it around, which is awesome,” Ryan said. “You’re going to where coverage...

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is among the very best in the business.

The Ringer’s Steven Ruiz seems to think so, anyway.

Ruiz released an updated version of his quarterback rankings on Thursday, which saw the second-year quarterback make a major jump from his initial ranking of No. 18 in Week 1 to No. 8 in Week 10.

“Maye is a star. While there’s still plenty of room for growth in the 23-year-old QB’s game, there are no real holes in it,” Ruiz wrote. “Any questions about his unorthodox mechanics have been answered, as he’s already established himself as...

The Patriots kicked off the season strong, and former New England tight end Rob Gronkowski believes his old team has a real shot at winning the Super Bowl.

“I truly believe that half of the rosters in the NFL have the potential to make it to the Super Bowl if those teams come together,” Gronkowski said on Wednesday during “Up & Adams”. “Everyone needs to be on the same page, and the Patriots are one of those teams with a roster that can achieve this. In the end, it’s all about staying healthy, playing your best football, getting everything together,...

The New England Patriots stayed quiet at Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, but one of their former standout wide receivers — Jakobi Meyers — was on the move.

The 28-year-old was acquired by the Jacksonville Jaguars in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders hours ahead of the deadline.

On Wednesday, Jaguars general manager James Gladstone had high praise for the team’s newest pass-catcher.

“We’re looking forward to seeing how his skill set fits within the system,” Gladstone said, according to a report by ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. “I think from afar it does. You think about where we’re at in terms...

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was one of nine contributors named a semifinalist for Hall of Fame induction.

The Hall of Fame revealed the semifinalists on Thursday after the Blue-Ribbon Committee voted from a field of 21. Kraft remains in the running for induction into the 2026 class alongside K.S. “Bud” Adams, Roone Arledge, Ralph Hay, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Art Rooney Jr., Clark Shaughnessy, Seymour Siwoff and Buddy Young.

The committee will meet on Tuesday, Nov. 11, to name one finalist from that group. Kraft was also a semifinalist last year before Hay, an NFL co-founder and two-time champion,...

The New England Patriots are riding a six-game win streak into their Week 10 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, it’s clear that, aside from their Week 5 clash with the Buffalo Bills, this will be the toughest challenge second-year quarterback Drake Maye has faced in the NFL.

There’s no doubt that the Patriots have benefited from playing a historically easy schedule this season. And while they have looked great against lesser opposition, playing the Bucs gives the team a chance to see where they stack up against another de facto playoff contender.

The matchup that may determine the...

The New England Patriots’ 2025 draft class has had an up-and-down start.

Offensive linemen Will Campbell and Jared Wilson became day-one starters. TreVeyon Henderson leads the team in rushing, though many fans want to see him take on a higher workload. And Craig Woodson has stepped up in a big way, leading the entire defensive secondary in total snaps played.

But third-round pick Kyle Williams, a wide receiver out of Washington State, has been seldom heard from. The same can be said for every player drafted on day three of the draft, except for kicker Andres Borregales.

As is the...

Tom Brady showed more love to the New England Patriots after a narrow Week 9 win.

In his latest power rankings, the legendary quarterback moved his former team up two spots to No. 6. Brady dusted off an old moniker to celebrate the success of his ex-teammate, head coach Mike Vrabel.

“The Pats have all the intangibles dialed in and look like a classic New England football team. We haven’t seen that in a few years,” Brady said. “We need a name for this kind of thing. What are we calling it? The Vrabel Way? Kind of catchy, isn’t it?”...